Cracklin rose '71 Cuda

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri Jan 04, 08 12:28 pm

My Hemicuda used to be a race car back in the 70's & 80's while it lived in Sweden. In the late 80's the Hemicuda was returned to it's original FC7 Inviolet (Plum Crazy) colour. Then in 1989 RPM bought the car into the UK.

It had a couple of owners before I bought it in 1998. Since then it has been restored to almost original condition.

Forunately, during its years as a race car it ran in stock category and was kept very original and never cut or altered. Like the Cracklin Rose Cuda mine has a race history too.

I reckon if a car is an important famous race car then it should be restored in its race era condition. Aside from that any Cuda that hasn't been cut about too much should be restored to original, or slightly modified street condition. - That's where Cuda's are at their best.

Here's my car in 1983:

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Jan 04, 08 12:48 pm

Slightly off topic but there is a Challenger on my message board being restored at the moment that was the same rare as hens teeth two tone paint option as yours Jim. Although this 440 R/T was never a race car.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Fri Jan 04, 08 12:52 pm

Blue wrote:I have pictures and some info on the car, I'll sort some stuff out when I get home. Ray Mumford didn't paint it Ivor, it was Tel Powney, I used to hang around with him when I was a kid.

Yep, I know Blue, I just thought it would be great to see Ray back on the scene!

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri Jan 04, 08 12:54 pm

Dave. That car is probably not as bad as it looked in the first place. I saw a similar Challenger at the Mopar Nat's in Columbus Ohio last year. It looked just as horrible, but it was all surface and scruffy paint. The car was actually almost rust free.

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jan 04, 08 1:00 pm

Blue wrote:
DaveBishop wrote:Blue didn't it have a hemi in it. I think Garry Mills end up with the engine when he bought the Hemi convertible of him. If it is the same he got the hemi convertible and loads of spares in a swap for £2000 and a Triumph Stag
Yes, it had a hemi with a tunnel ram on it. As you say Gary Mills bought the convertible and a job lot of parts including the Hemi. last I heard the engine was in Ashley Bells '65 Barracuda, lost track of it since then. You had the 10x15 ET's off the back of Cracklin' Rose didn't you Dave, what happened to them?

i ended up with that engine blue, sold on to a guy with a cobra he swapped it all for a fresh 528 hemi short mtr, because that ashley hemi was a wanted block out in the usa old matchin superstock mtr

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jan 04, 08 1:05 pm

hey steve, if that cuda has raced with a hemi, then thats got to be the way to put it back would be great for our nostalgia show, i will get the 71 sixpak challenger back out as the mopar miss, my daughter can race that one

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Fri Jan 04, 08 1:08 pm

Jim wrote:Dave. That car is probably not as bad as it looked in the first place. I saw a similar Challenger at the Mopar Nat's in Columbus Ohio last year. It looked just as horrible, but it was all surface and scruffy paint. The car was actually almost rust free.

look at that shell closely jim, its a minter, yet most in this country would not take it on because its not bright and shiney and full off puddin,
i have had severall challengers like that here and struggled like hell to sell them

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Fri Jan 04, 08 5:36 pm

OK here's the only pictures I can find at the moment. they were taken by me in 1974. I have to say with the history of this car, if it was mine I'd want to get it as close to how it was back then as I could. The thought of it being restored into "just' another E body seems a shame to me as it is unique. Right here's what I know, it had a Hemi with a tunnel ram and dominators, if I remember rightly a clutchflite transmission and a 5.38 dana. It was painted in Cheshunt by Auto Art who were Tel Powney and Mick Webb. They both emigrated to the US in the late '70's. The rear arch's were opened up and were quite distinctive, which was how I recognised the car when it was orange and owned by James Lee in the early '80's. At that time it had fibreglass front panels on it, but I'm not sure if they were on the car when Dave Rose owned it. The hemi convertible was Dave's wife's daily driver. That's about all I can think of at the moment

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Fri Jan 04, 08 5:38 pm

More..

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Fri Jan 04, 08 5:41 pm

Superb Blue...if that's your shadow in the first picture, get yer 'air cut!

RayC · Post by **RayC** » Fri Jan 04, 08 5:41 pm

Blue wrote:OK here's the only pictures I can find at the moment. they were taken by me in 1974.

Bloody ell Blue back in 1974 the only one i might have driven is the little red sporty number parked behind it ( think B1 Bri Still uses his

)

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Fri Jan 04, 08 5:50 pm

Yes that is my shadow, I was a long haired 16 yr. old in flared trousers and platform boots, as a lot of us were back then....

AllKiller · Post by **AllKiller** » Fri Jan 04, 08 6:59 pm

Blue, Pete W, Keep em coming...

Rear arches look to be stock now !! As they do in Petes picture

......did it ever have a Hemi in it ???
lots of mention of it, but in the mags of the era, that are supplied with the car, there is no Hemi in it or mentioned ??